The US Supreme Court announced its long-anticipated verdict on healthcare reform and nursing home advocates are using the spotlight as a chance to renew their demands upon Illinois lawmakers to reform the state’s Medicaid reimbursement procedures.
Relying heavily on statistics that suggest the state is underfunding Medicaid reimbursements by an estimated $4.7 billion, or approximately $24.34 per patient per day, these advocates are attempting to seize the moment to, essentially, echo most of the same points that they made in regards to Governor Quinn’s budget debate.
Naturally, nursing homes must rely largely on government aid programs such as Medicaid to fund patient care, and with national healthcare measures looming large in both the courts and the news; it seems only natural to bring focus on their cause.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not just about the funds that nursing homes receive, but what they do with them — look no further than many of these same advocates’ recent efforts to persuade Illinois legislators to cut back on measures from the state’s landmark 2010 Nursing Home Care Act.
At the end of the day, nursing home funding is a serious issue that merits long consideration, but there are two sides to every coin and it isn’t just about the money, but how nursing homes plan on using it. This too is a serious issue that merits the same amount of attention.
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